Our plan was to examine, in detail, the Clippers' ten first quarter turnovers with the contention that the game was lost in the first. I mean, a basketball team displays a special kind of incompetence by coughing it up as many times as they hit from the field.[1] But somehow, these slobs managed to put themselves in a position to win the game, despite turning it over on 26 different possessions while converting 27 FGs[2]. 26 and 27 -- that's quite a feat.

But here we are at 6:20 in the 4th, with the Clippers leading 81-80. An outline of the final six minutes or so:

Corey, on the right wing, trying to kick it back to Cassell, throws it into the backcourt. Just when you think Maggette has fully exhausted his eclectic range of turnovers, he develops something new. [1 turnover]

Elton draws a foul by pushing off Garnett way out on the wing. For all the awful officiating tonight, they got this one right. [2 turnovers]

The Clippers space the floor nicely on this possession, and Minnesota is rotating well - one of the few instances in the game in which both squads are playing quality basketball. Brand is just off the right block. When Livingston penetrates, Mark Blount - who had rotated onto Elton - collapses on Shaun. Shaun deftly finds EB for a shot Elton generally hits. Not this time. [2 turnovers, 0-1 Brand]

Again, nice spacing. When James rotates back onto Shaun, leaving Corey alone way out on the wing, Corey moves inside, cutting quickly into the paint. He gets a good entry pass from Cassell, then does his thing, earning a trip to the line. It's that old chestnut that, when a guy moves off the ball, good things happen. [2 turnovers, 0-1 Brand, 1-1 Maggette[3]]

In transition, Cassell gets it ahead to Maggette on the left side. Corey dribbles past Hassell, gets into the lane and puts up an off-balanced jumper from about 13 feet. [2 turnovers, 1-2 Maggette, 0-1 Brand]

Down nine now, the Clips run a S/R up top from Brand for Cassell. When Blount leaves Brand to double-team the penetrating Cassell, Sam dishes back over to Brand. This is the kind of set that we beg the Clippers to do more of. Another open jumper from the right side[4] from Brand. Another miss. [2 turnovers, 1-2 Maggette, 0-2 Brand]

An awful entry pass from Mobley into Brand. Off EB, out of bounds. [3 turnovers, 1-2 Maggette, 0-2 Brand]

Moving pick by Brand out on the right wing. Let's give the Clippers this - they're turnover it over quickly, not allowing too much time to run off the clock. [4 turnovers, 1-2 Maggette, 0-2 Brand]

Maggette posts on the right block against Hassell. Mobley gets the ball into Corey. Maggette spins baseline, heaves up a fall-back 16-foot jumper. No good, but Brand grabs the rebound and kicks it out to Thomas. His 3FGA is no good, but Maggette secures the rebound on the weak side glass. He goes back up with it and earns another trip to the line. [4 turnovers, 2-4 Maggette, 0-2 Brand, 0-1 Thomas]

At this point, we're under a minute and the Clips still trail by 11. Thomas throws up another 3FGA, and, appropriately, Cassell turns it over the final seconds.

If you take out the two offensive rebounds that yielded a Thomas shot, and a Maggette trip to the line, it looks like this:

Maggette - 3

Brand - 2

Livingston - 1

The Clippers get the shots they want. Obviously, it's easier to spread the shots around when you don't turn the ball over five times in the final six minutes. But Elton gets two good shots; Maggette's aren't as smart, but he's done worse. When you let your opponent score almost every time down, it's hard to get anything in transition, and you end up having to grind in the halfcourt. So you've got that. On top of which, it's tough to get quick shots, so it's harder to eat into the lead.

The Clippers give back their win in Minneapolis and tonight play at Seattle against one of the NBA's worst defensive teams in recent memory. Because the Sonics work almost everything on the perimeter, the Clips will have to rotate quickly and proficiently - something they've been doing a little better in recent weeks.

[1]You know those games when you almost root against your team just so you can express your disappointment and ire at the way they're playing? Tonight was one of those games.

[2] To be fair, the Clips went to the line 7,420 times. NBA Basketball - it's fan-tastic!

[3] For the sake of this exercise, let's call a 2-2 trip to the line 1-1. A trip to the line that yields a 1-2, is worth .5 FGs. I know it sounds confusing, but bear with me because I'm trying to break down the Clips' shot selections, not so much their proficiency from the field.

[4] Interesting that Brand sets up right again. Just interesting, that's all.

Posted Wednesday, October 29 at 3:20PM

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Comments

After this game, I now see why Sam Cassell and Tim Thomas have been either traded or kicked off multiple teams. They don't play defense and only play hard when they "feel" it. If Thomas isn't hitting the 3, which he hasn't, he stands around and does nothing. I actually don't think he's smart enough to know what to do. Is it just me, or have we all see enough of Livingston walking the ball up court and doing nothing. As for our, "leader"... at the end of the day, we now see what Houston, Phoenix, Dallas, New Jersey, Milwaukee and Minnesota realized about Sam I Am...crafty skills...big mouth...berates teamates...locker room poison...plays no defense. Instead of burning them, I gave away my tickets for the Bulls on Wednesday. My kid and his Rec League team will give me a much better game.

MD: You're living up to the "Dumb Leavy" nickname Laker fans have tagged you with. What in God's name made you think that 6'7" Shaun Livingston could guard 7'0" Kevin Garnett? Are you drunk?

Corey: Please stop with the crap about playing on a team where your skills are more appreciated. Dude...you play NO defense. You're not a good passer and you lack the basic fundamental skills of basketball. You should be on your knees every night thanking God for making you 6'6" and giving you the desire to lift weights. FYI...all that driving to the hole means very little when its all you do for the team.

EB: Cassell is lying about anything he's ever told you about anything. I know he made you feel like "the man" last year, calling you "horse" and everyting, but there's a reason no one wants him on their team. Stop listening.
This is your team, not his.

Kaman: Just remember, your Mother and all the rest of the world is watching as Cassell berates you openly during the game. Get some balls, dude. How can you let a no-defense playing point guard get in your face like he did last night? If you start playing defense with your feet instead of reaching in all the time, he has no case against you. And please stop crying to the referees about every damn call. You look ridiculous.

and finally...

Elgin Baylor: Pull the trigger on Cassell. How hard can it be to replace a big mouth old point guard with a good shot and crafty skills that cover his lack of defense?

Kevin,
sadly I laughed and agreed with your comment about rooting against your team to win to sorta prove the point that they don't care this season. This season is the most frustrating one because we know what they are capable of but just aren't getting it done. It didn't seem like the Clippers even wanted to win that game last night.

They actually had a lead in the 4th quarter, when the ref made another bad call, when Maggette went up for a rebound, an opponent goes over his back, and whacks Corey on the hand, which forces the ball out of bounds. A simple loose ball foul. But the ref doesn't call the foul, he just says that Corey touched it last and gives the ball to the Timberwolves.

The Clips just completely lost it after that. Good teams don't let that happen.

How about Maggette, Cassell and Kaman for Vince Carter & Marcus Williams?

Both teams will benefit from this trade.

This time, our scouts will have to do a better job in identifying right & compatible draft picks. If you pick them; use them. Don't make them disappear on the bench. Clippers picked Ewing & Davis but they are not worthy of Dunleavy's favors. Next time let those draft picks hang around with MD before we sign them. If we need bodies for practice sessions, get few players from elsewhere.

It's time NBA does something about treatment of rookies by the teams sign them. First year of rookie season, make 12 min. playing time mandatory. Impose penalty & resrtictions if teams don't comply. During 2nd year rookie season, make 18 min. playing time mandatory.

This will force teams to be cautious before they sign their draft picks.

"When you have to fly after the game & play back to back game at Seattle... loss against Kevin Garnett wasn't all that bad."

"At this stage, Clippers are doing better than Lakers, Utah and Denver. That's great if Clips are eying for #6th or 7th spot."

"It's time NBA does something about treatment of rookies by the teams sign them. First year of rookie season, make 12 min. playing time mandatory. Impose penalty & resrtictions if teams don't comply. During 2nd year rookie season, make 18 min. playing time mandatory."

ummm...point me in the direction of ur drug supplier? ur statements just got more and more insane. wow, absolutely wow...

at this point, there is plenty of blame to spread around. sure, shaun has underachieved. Q's offense can be stagnant at times. TT has icy fingertips. kaman plays mentally handicapped. etc etc etc.

but if we could assign a percentage of blame for the clips' woes this season (and even last postseason), is there any way that MDSr gets less than 51%? after blowing the phx series last yr, he:

- lobbied for the kaman extension (which probably wouldn't have been happened otherwise)
- completely mishandled mishandled the corey situation
- tried (repeatedly) to get management to trade for MDJr

after picking DTS's pockets for $22M, he's:

- still mishandling the corey situation
- under-utilizing his personnel
- refusing to open up the offense (too stubborn in his pre-game mismatches)
- been repeatedly outcoached during the game (esp 2h)
- wearing suits from the 1970s

etc etc etc. clips fans shouldn't be subjected to watching lifeless, non-passionate, stale bball. and it drives me ape-shit seeing the success of those stinking lakers w/ so much less on their roster. throw in howland and floyd, and i believe we have the 4th best bball head coach in los angeles.